HELP!! Day trip to Tokyo Disney Sea?

[shushh]

So its been confirmed that I’ll be going to Japan for training. Fortunately because of the timing of flights. I will have most of the day before my day of training and another ¾ of day after training. The last time I went to TDR was when I was a teenager and I’ve never been to Tokyo Disney Sea. So I know next to nothing about the Disneyland Complex at Tokyo.

So here are the details...
I will be staying at the Tokyo Dome Hotel.
Tues May 21 - My flight arrives at Narita at 6:15am. I’m flying solo and business class so can probably get out quickly?!?
Wed May 22 – Training whole day
Thu May 23 - My flight flies out at 830pm

I have all of Tuesday and the first half of the day on Thursday depending on transport time to the airport from Tokyo Disney Sea.

My questions are:
1) Is it doable?
2) Is it worth the time, money and effort for such a short visit?
3) Should I attempt to do both Tue and Thur?
4) Do they have luggage storage at Disneyland?
5) Getting to/from Disneyland from Tokyo Dome looks complicated...anyone done it before?

Any help, information, advice would be greatly appreciated! I am slowly reading through the threads in the Tokyo subforum to gather information and have posted there as well. But I thought I'd post it here too for some Aussie input, I know some of you have been recently. Time is short! All of our Disney trips are usually planned months in advance...I'm excited but panicked at the same time!

 

[Luisa]

I would do it no question, and on both days as Disney Sea is beautiful! I remember seeing lots of storage lockers and people storing rolling suitcases in them so they would be pretty big. Is there any chance you could drop your bags at your hotel in the morning before checking in so you could go to the park? Although the metro map looks complicated its really easy to navigate (even with a suitcase)- from Tokyo Dome you would get the Chuo line to Akihabara, Yamanote line to Tokyo then Keiyo line to Maihama. If you are going straight to the park from Narita then I'd just get the limousine bus direct from the airport to Disney Sea- you could do that on the day you leave too rather than the trains.

 

[Aussie Wendy]

So long as you are near a metro/rail station it is not hard to get out to Disneyland and Sea. Many sing the praises of hyperderia the best for working out how to get from A to B- http://www.hyperdia.com. I personally preferred this other site Jorudan - http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/

On Tuesday you could either head to your hotel, have luggage held then go out to Disney or go straight from airport and put your luggage in storage there. There are lockers in various sizes (700Y for large) just outside the parks-see this link (Official TDL site) for info: http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/en/tdl/guest/in/lockers/index.html.

From the airport direct you could catch the Limo (shuttle bus-was around 2700Y I think-takes about 60 mins - saves you stressing over transport the minute you arrive - buy from desk within airport), or you would catch trains into city network and then trains/subway out to DLR.

Getting back to the hotel at the end of the evening I would catch the train (Keiyo line) 1 stop to Shin Keiba (rather than take a route that requires the massive long and staircase transfers at Tokyo station-avoid this station whenever you can) and change to Yurakucho metro Line to Yurakucho/Hibiya. At Yuakucho/Hibiya change onto the Mita metro line to Suidobashi. (You don't worry who owns which line-just buy a Suica card-easy as-at a station and use that for all trips on anything). On google maps Suidobashi looks like very close to the Dome hotel but there are a couple of other stops not too far and they may be on a more direct metro route meaning less transfers-I haven't played around. Highlight public transport options on the google map to see what lines stop where and combine with options on Hyperderia or Jorudan.

Going direct from eg Suidobashi Station which is on the JR Chuo train and Mita subway lines to Maihama station (Disney station) say eg 10 am on a weekday there are several routes. Again they do involve changing trains/subways but it is easy-no harder than swopping lines in other busy cities with multiple tube lines like Paris, NYC and London etc. The JR train lines can be quieter. All options from Suidobashi take around 43 mins and cost from 220Y to 440Y depending on which combo you choose.

I would def go to Disneysea on the Tuesday and either sightsee some of Tokyo your departure day or catch the train/subway as above out to Disney Thursday, put bag in locker and book the limo bus to get out to the airport in the later pm. Very occasionally (see Lurkyloo's old Japan TR) the trains to Maihama have issues due to wind and stop. Going back to airport for flight is not something you want to miss so the bus removes that worry.

Am sure lots of others will chip in. Exciting!!

 

[5ofus]

Definitely do it for at least one day. I LOVE Tokyo Disneyland and Sea. If it were me, I'd probably head straight to TDR on the Airport Limosine (actually a bus) and just store my luggage in a locker. That way you'd get a good days' worth of DisneySea in without racing around Tokyo trying to drop luggage off etc. If you like it as much as I do, you'll be back on the Thursday too

Have you been to the TDR website and checked out opening hours?

 

[shushh]

Thank you all for taking the time reply! And especially to AussieWendy for all the detail! You have no idea how appreciated that is. It really does save me a lot of research time. I obviously have a lot to read up on as it is.

Ok so I think currently the plan is to straight to Tokyo Disney Sea from the airport and then go for a second day on Thursday. I was reading up on the airport limousine from TDR and was a bit freaked out when I read that you're not guaranteed a spot and if the bus is full it is possible to not be able to get on. Eeek! Can't afford to miss my flight.

 

[battymum]

Just replied on the Tokyo forum.

 

[PrincessInOz]

Have fun Shushh! Take lots of pictures and I hope to see you post on the Tokyo DL section.

 

[shushh]

Just replied on the Tokyo forum.

Have fun Shushh! Take lots of pictures and I hope to see you post on the Tokyo DL section.

I wasn't going to take my DSLR but now I've read battymum's post and PIO's request....ye old camera and its wide angle lens friend might be coming along.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I wasn't going to take my DSLR but now I've read battymum's post and PIO's request....ye old camera and its wide angle lens friend might be coming along.

Thanks! But only take the dSLR if you want to. Otherwise, I can wait till your NEXT trip.

 

[battymum]

Disneysea is a photographers dream, and a day without the children, well that's another photographers dream right??

 

[shushh]

Disneysea is a photographers dream, and a day without the children, well that's another photographers dream right??

Definitely! I will hopefully have more than my usual half a second to take my photo!

 

[shushh]

Just a quick update, I'm back and Tokyo DisneySea is absolutely stunning! Thanks all for your help. I had such a good time, it was a shame that I couldn't visit Disneyland as well.

For those who are interested here's the link to my blog post on my day trip
http://deliriouslydemented.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/tokyo-disney-sea.html

 

[Toy Story]

Amazing photos - the more I see of Tokyo Disney Sea, the more I want to go.

 

[WAMUMOF4]

Welcome home! Love the update and your pics

 

[PrincessInOz]

Welcome back, Shushh! Great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

 

[5ofus]

Loved the blog Shush! So glad you enjoyed TDS so much. How fortunate to be shown around by an insider .

We stayed at the Mira Costa on our last night in 2010 and were not disappointed

 

[battymum]

Thanks for sharing - it really is a beautiful park.

Are you planning to go back with the family?

 

[Minniemum]

Lovely photos Shush. Thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and marvelled at the generosity of Trish, and later on her family, as your guide/s for the day.

 

[periwinkle20]

Lovely photos and really enjoyed reading your blog - thanks for posting

 

[shushh]

Amazing photos - the more I see of Tokyo Disney Sea, the more I want to go.

It really does shine far above the other parks!

Welcome home! Love the update and your pics

Thank you. Its good to be home As nice as it was to have some me time, I missed the hubby and kids!

Welcome back, Shushh! Great pictures. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks PIO. I was actually a little disappointed with my photos. It was so frustrating to see all these gorgeous landscapes before me and not being able to capture it.

Loved the blog Shush! So glad you enjoyed TDS so much. How fortunate to be shown around by an insider .

We stayed at the Mira Costa on our last night in 2010 and were not disappointed

Oh 5ofus, you have no idea how gobsmacked I am by the generosity of my host. And I am so envious...the Miracosta Hotel is a dream. Did you have a view when you stayed there?

Thanks for sharing - it really is a beautiful park.

Are you planning to go back with the family?

I would love to take the rest of the family there. It was really strange visiting a park by myself. Partly that is also why I was so grateful that Trish and her family came along, it was like having a surrogate family!

Lovely photos Shush. Thoroughly enjoyed reading your blog and marvelled at the generosity of Trish, and later on her family, as your guide/s for the day.

I don't know what I've done to blessed with such good fortune, but I'll take it! There are a beautiful family

Lovely photos and really enjoyed reading your blog - thanks for posting

Thanks for reading!